AposTherapy is a medical program providing a therapeutic effect for the treatment of various medical conditions, specifically, orthopedic conditions. AposTherapy is based on an individually calibrated footwear biomechanical device (or simply “footwear device”). AposTherapy may address the biomechanical abnormalities characteristic of various orthopedic conditions, including the body's mal-alignment, muscle weakness, impaired neuromuscular control and the resulted abnormal pathological movement patterns. Main goals of the treatment include promotion and restoration of desired motor pattern and relief of pain.
The treatment is based on the footwear device which may be individually-calibrated by a physical therapist. The calibration may be based on a particular methodology coupled by computerized gait, pain, function and quality of life measurements (such as Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaires). The device may combine two rehabilitation principles, bringing the body and chain of joints to an optimal alignment, while simultaneously introducing perturbation through the creation of controlled micro-instability through the patients' entire step-cycle.
First, by adjusting the foot's point of contact with the ground (the center of pressure), the device may re-distributes the loads acting on the various joints of the lower limb. Second, controlled micro-instability may be introduced through perturbation during the gait cycle (and any other weight bearing activity). This may restore neuromuscular control and over time retrains the muscles to adopt an optimal movement pattern.
The device may use two convex-shaped pods (i.e., pods which provide perturbation, also referred herein as ‘protuberances’) under the main weight bearing areas of the foot, such as the heel and the forefoot. One may adjust their location, height, and resilience. The level of perturbation may be adjusted by varying the convexity of the pods.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the figures.